Album Review: United States Albums

May I just add something to Neeskens' review of Lindner? I have in front of me a SAFE album of Austria, which uses the same approach (rather than having mounts directly on a sheet of paper, the stamps are placed in a plastic sheet that goes over the printed page). Like most of my expensive albums, I didn't buy it as such - it came with the stamps in an auction lot. I have to say that I rather dislike it for its sterilised feel. There's no sense of having an album that a human being regularly interacts with - no stamps stuck in odd places around the page, and one wouldn't want to defile its purity with pencilled annotations. It's a highly efficient, but ultimately rather lifeless, storage system - perhaps the predictable child of the UMM obsession.

RE GeoffHa's comments on Safe albums: Although the album may have a somewhat sterile look, it does have a practical benefit. You place your mint stamp in the plastic sheet but you can also mount a used/canceled version on the corresponding paper page. Many collectors house their mint and used stamps in separate albums. With Safe, it's all in one. You can also purchase additional blank pages for any special items you might have. I use this album for my Netherlands collection. However, over the years the cost of the supplements has gone up significantly. It has gotten to the point where the supplement costs as much or more than the new issues for the year!

Hey Neeskens13,
Thanks so much for sharing your multi-album experiences. I was planning to house my growing US collection through 1930 in a new Mystic Heirloom album which I bought in 2011. Fortunately, I became aware of Lindner hingeless album page system. Now I'm researching the hingeless US albums to determine my best choice. Your observations are critical. I know little about Lighthouse products. But I like your observation that Lighthouse designers follow the Scott cataloging system as far as page layout. Frankly, if I paid hundreds of bucks for a higher end US album and found the stupid page design shown in Rileysan's photo above I would be perturbed. Some of us who collect stamps are obviously interested in the visual appeal.

I'll check out Lighthouse company's offerings. Thanks again!

Two further comments regarding US albums:
1) I own the Mystic Heirloom standard US album purchased new; it is a very good value for any collector who wants a reasonably priced US album featuring decent quality 3-ring binder system; nicely designed pages, inclusion of the Scott cat numbers. off-white cream color pages and ample room. If I purchase a hingeless album I may sell this album unused.
2) Has anyone had experience with the Scott National Schaubek US hingeless album? This has been my early favored choice, but I've not seen too many comments shared since the Amos/German joint effort is fairly recent. I like Scott numbering. Some folks have asked why this is important to me...I like a guide to differing varieties...and also I keep an eye on the "value" of my investment. This is more difficult with Davo and Lindner which include no numbering.

Dcvaraz1949, I own a US Lighthouse, tomorrow I will take few pic to show you some pages, US light house have different page # for the definitive, the commemoratives, the coil and of course the BOB , I like it because I don't focus that much on the coils, so I place them at the end with the BOB. And about the price, well if the price of a Lighthouse refrain certain members, I will suggest to not even thing to collect 19th century US stamps. Take a Scott catalogue and do the math; at 30-50k you start to have a 19th collection. And anyone who has more than few months experience don't need Scott # printed in the album. 2013 supplement price? I careless as no 2013 stamps worth to be put in an album if you ask me.For me it's simple, $100, 1000, $10,000 stamps don't fit in a $ 100 albums.

KirkS, thank you for the Glossary link! Signed up for Linn's.

The Mystic Hingeless is really a great price. But there are so many pages with broken up se-tenants that I have modified, that it would cost me a lot to modify pages and stick clear mounts on them.

My latest update in search of my ideal US Hingeless Album:

A MAJOR determining factor for me is the number of pages dedicated to house my target US collection years from 1845 to 1930's.
While the layout and quality of several album manufacturers appears to be very impressive, the number of pages each company has
created for these issues varies greatly -- between 97 and 54 pages. Understanding how many issues can be housed has become my
key focus. I expect to include certain BOB issues and as many variations of older issues as possible, so the choice between
an album with 60 pages or nearly 100 pages has led to a clear leader.

Currently, the new Schaubek Scott National US Hingeless Album combines the most benefits I seek:
> Largest capacity -- 97 pages
> Most BOB included (I use an old Scott Specialty album for my Revenues)
> Most issues between my collecting dates -- through 1930's
> Includes Scott Cat numbering
> Available with binder and slipcase under $300
> Ring system that lays flat

Here are my comparisons (sight unseen, but I have requested sample pages):

SAFE -- Beautiful looking pages, 14-ring mechanism + slipcase. I'd require purchasing 3 different page groups that total 81 pages,
and I have no clue if Officials, Postage Due, Parcel Post are included. Not sure why the stamp pages are broken out as they are in groups with different end dates: 41 Regulars pages 1847 - 1937, 21 Commemoratives pages 1893 - 1945, and 19 Airmails pages 1918 - 2012? Damage Report? $412

LINDNER -- Again, very clean aesthetics and quality 18-ring mechanism; but 1847 - 1936 is fit onto 54 pages costing $210!
-- so what was left out? Oh! Need to also purchase Officials, Postage Due 1879 - 1992 (but I don't want 1940's - 1990's!)
That's $187 more. Damage Report? $397

LIGHTHOUSE -- Looks equal to the best Euro albums; elegant pages; 13-ring mechanism + slipcase. US Hingeless 1847 - 1935 is spread across 60 pages; With a VARIO Binder + slipcase; but no whwere can I find out if any BOB is included; Damage Report? approx $285

SCHAUBEK SCOTT NATIONAL -- this hingeless Volume 1 covers 1845 - 1934; quality Euro pages; 6-ring mechanism lays flat when open; design follows Scott National layout including Scott cat numbers; Vol 1 utilizes 97 pages and includes most BOB issues except Revenues; Senator multi-ring binder and slipcase; Damage Report? $273

dcaraz

Last Lighthouse price-list for pages that I saw (presume US prices will be lower than GB):

1847-1935 @ £69.50 (£164.75 w mounts).
Officials & newspaper stamps 1865-1911 @ £56.75 w mounts only.
Farley special printings @ £36.50 w mounts only.

Remember you don't have to use a ring binder with Lighthouse (or Schaubek, for that matter). Alternatives with Lighthouse are springback, turn-bar or pegs. Schaubek's standard album us pegs, and has very high capacity. It also does springback. Question of trading off volume against lying flat.

Geoff

Geoff

Lighthouse USA is 1847-1964 and it cost around $ 320 with the turn bar binder, and it does have the BOB, Coils, Commemoratives and Regulars are on separate pagesnot mix together, so you can arrange them like you want. I don't see why price is a problem, US stamps are very expensive, the album is a very small fraction of the price, and what about those scott # ...anyone who collect stamps for more than few months don't need them to know where they go in an album

I hope peoples do realize than a US collection with 19th stamps will cost over 100k, so why care about the price of the album, you should ask insted " can I afford 100k on stamps ? "

http://www.ihobb.com/p/553_1-2SFKA.html

area66

True, a largely complete US to 1934 might cost $100K (leaving out the really big-ticket stuff) but who has specified that level of completion on this thread?

Most of us are satisfied to aim at "as complete as I can at the quality level I choose at the total cost I can afford." For some of us that might, over 10 years' time, add up to $10K, for others perhaps $25K. For $10K or 15K over 10 years' time one can have some decent representation of 19thc stamps in decent quality plus the 20thc complete except for the WF coils and other high priced stuff.

But few of us ever set out to achieve 90 or 95% completion and few of us here can spend $100K, even over a period of 10 years. Correct me if I"m wrong, but most of us would be happy with 50% or 67% or slightly better completion??? The dcaraz can chime in with his own expectations but I did not read him as aiming at 90 or 95% completion.

Or have I missed something?

Oh, I'm assuming mixed mint and used. Perhaps everyone else is assming mint. That would change the numbers I mention above quite dramatically.

It's just that I don't see myself placing $ 100-1000 stamps on cheap Scott and Minkus album. Speaking of coils, I push them back with the BOB, they cost too much ( especially in pair Lighthouse ask for ) At $ 320 with included stamps mounts , it's not that expensive when you think about it. I just get the first album, I place the stamps after 1965 in pages I printed myself host on plastic sheet protector.

The fact that this Album Review conversation began in this very Forum back in 2011 makes it clear that
a) it's an important and challenging topic, b) collectors have very different priorities in selecting their albums,
and c) most online sources offer sketchy, often poor information regarding album specifications.

I have been in marketing, advertising, and graphic design fields since 1975 and I am surprised by the lack of detailed
info on manufacturers' and dealers websites.

Regarding the price of albums...
I included in the prices in my comparison because a few months from now someone else will do an online search
as I did for comparative info prior to buying an album. Frankly, I have already invested enough in 19th issues to
not be concerned with spending $300 or $400 for a better album. However, I do think a new album buyer wants to understand
the differences between the available commercially printed products.

I for one don't want to cram my collection onto 60 Lighthouse pages when the Schaubek Scott National gives me 97 pages.
I certainly appreciate album owners clarifying details about their books. Hopefully all these observations will be a great help to folks.

dcaraz1949 your comments about the frustrations in choosing an album are quite appropriate. Collectors have varying needs and resources that make a difference in the kind of album they believe is best. I have found album company representatives a bit flustered by the questions raised on this forum topic -- a typical response: "we'll get back to you on that." I wish the philatelic press would take the hint and do album reviews.

What criteria should be used for a good album review? Here are some suggestions based on previous comments (and in no particular order of importance). Some may think of others.
1. Color, weight and chemical balance of paper.
2. Degree of coverage (perf, watermark, and color varieties as well as back of book)
3. Binder design (ring, post or spring-back), capacity, quality of materials and construction, whether pages lie flat or not.
4. Years covered for each for each volume.
5. Cost (binder, case, pages) including supplement prices.
6. Arrangement of issues based on particular catalogue system (Scott, Michel, Gibbons, etc.)
7. Use of issue dates, descriptors and illustrations.
8. Presence of background commentary on stamp issues.
9. Stamp mounting system -- with or without mounts (hingeless).
10.Page appearance - balanced, crowded.
11.Arrangement of issues based on type of stamp -- regular/definitives, commemoratives, semi-postals, airmail, postage due, special mail service, revenues, etc.
12.Availability of extra blank and/or quadrilled pages.
13.Whether multi-designed se-tenant blocks, strips, or sheets are illustrated as in tact only or broken out into singles or both.
14.Whether or not pages are numbered.
15.Most appropriate for mint collections or used/cancelled collections.

dbuss, I have not yet spoken to any manufacturers reps. But my experience in marketing other technical products
proves that many industries are simply very traditional in that they are undemanding, and lacking progressive marketing and
sales focus on customer needs. When I moved from pharmaceutical marketing to the electrical products industry I saw a great difference.
Stamp collecting is by definition a very mature, very traditional segment. Most sales reps in the stamp collecting business are
not likely to think in terms of doing a customer survey asking what features are most important to them.

If someone did do a survey of avid collectors what percentage would select turn-bar binder designs as their favorite solution?
Don't get me wrong. I am not lobbying for stamp collecting to get Techie! I have an aversion to seeing folks everywhere staring
down at their hand-held smart devices. I simply point out that folks who tend to be more progressive, or open to change probably
don't sell stamp hinges for a living. But I could be wrong :-)